Livermore: Man grabs, assaults teen walking alone at night

LIVERMORE -- A teenage girl was grabbed and sexually battered by a man Sunday night, police said, but she managed to escape the man's grasp and call authorities.

The attack was reported around 9:15 p.m., according to a police news release. The 16-year-old was walking in the area of Murrieta Boulevard and El Rancho Drive when she was approached from behind, grabbed and sexually battered. The girl broke free from the man, ran away and called police.

The man was described as Hispanic, between 20 and 30 years old, about 6 feet tall with a medium build, unshaven with short dark hair, and wearing a black shirt and dark jeans.

Police were investigating if the suspect might have been involved in other assaults on women who were walking or jogging alone in the area. Authorities reminded pedestrians not to wear earbuds and to avoid unpopulated and poorly-lit areas at night.

Anyone with information about the incident is asked to call police at 925-371-4760.